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01 Apr 2015 5:16:30am

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I'm a single "working" parent on newstart with a 9 yo girl, and 14yo boy. Matthew, my newstart is $70/fortnight because it's reduced by my meagre earnings, so not getting even close to $540/fortnight. I, on the other hand work in a casual job, which is why I'm entitled to Newstart because I don't earn a regular income. I'm tertiary qualified with 30+ yrs of work experience. My age - 49 precludes me from finding any meaningful, well-paid work in a youth obsessed society. I sometimes work with people half my age who make poor workers, but they are given preference over me simply because of my age. I was out of the work force when my marriage ended, and had been out of the work force for 6.5 years ( caring for a baby, studying and trying to find compatible employment all of this time), when I finally got my current casual job, which I've had for 18mths. I had to take a lower job, because otherwise I wouldn't get any assistance, but I can't support myself and my children on my casual income. What the problem is here is that as a single parent, you are sole bread winner, sole parent, sole everything. Two-parent families can at least share the load, a sole parent can't. In my situation, everytime my children are ill, too ill for school - who cares for them. As a single parent, I'm it. I have no family support and can't take it in turns with the children's father as he lives in another state- his choice to move away - I'm powerless to stop him moving according to the law - but he could stop me from moving away from him with the children - this is legal. So if I have to take time off work to care for my children - what employer wants that sort of worker? Not many. Only casual positions and very understanding employers are willing to take on a single parent's complex family life. You can't separate the single parent's responsibilities with caring for children and work obligations, something has to give, and when dependent children are involved, everything else comes second. Because if the single parent went to work and left a sick child alone at home, they would be considered unfit to parent by societal standards, without understanding the desperation and conflict this parent has to deal with in making a choice between keeping a low paying job or caring for her sick child. I can tell you no one would want my situation, if they could chose otherwise. My employment pays a low income, so low that I am eligible for the low income rebate, as Alison points out. this amounts to $290/year in reduced income tax obligation. Whoopee! I think I'll go out and splurge! I can tell you from real experience that all the allowances and rebates don't add up to a higher income that many people earn and that many two parent households take for granted. I'm working just as hard as other women, but not getting the same deal. Most single parents can't juggle full-time parenting and a better paying job because most better paying jobs require a dedication to

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